You are here

Social Justice

17th of October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In this era of increasing global wealth and economic growth it is important to highlight the large numbers of people living in poverty both here in Ireland and globally. It is also a day to point to the policy options available that can improve the living conditions for all. We can and should implement these policies without delay.

Ireland now has the resources to ensure that inequality can be tackled effectively and the linked social injustices of poverty, waiting lists and homelessness can be addressed. Priority should be given to reducing poverty, tackling the social housing crisis and reforming the healthcare system in both urban and rural Ireland. Following on from our annual Sustainable Progress Index, Social Justice Ireland has published a 4-page brief on Ireland’s inability to get to grips with inequality.

The consultation on the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2018 to 2021 has been released by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection with a closing date of 16th March 2018. This consultation is open to all, organisations and individuals, and while Social Justice Ireland encourages all to participate, we are concerned that the questions are framed in such a way as to allow Government to abdicate their responsibilities to the most vulnerable.

Social Justice Ireland were honoured to have President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins deliver the key note address at our 30th Annual Social Policy Conference. Click here to watch the video of his presentation, or download his paper, entitled On The DiscourseThat We Need.

This year's conference featured an excellent and diverse line-up of speakers from Spain, Italy, Germany, the USA, and Ireland. The key note address was delivered by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. Click in to download papers from the conference, watch the presentations, see our handy summary graphics, or download the entire conference booklet for free.

One hundred years after the 1916 Rising Ireland faces major choices that will shape its future for the decades ahead. The dominant economic approaches and policies which have been favoured in recent decades in Ireland, the EU and beyond have failed to recognise the interdependent relationships between a vibrant economy, social cohesion, good governance and sustainability that must characterise any society if it is to thrive in the long run. Yet recognition of this interdependency is critically important if we are to fulfil our obligations to future generations of Irish people and to the planet on which we depend for our existence.

Ireland can and should play a prominent role in the development of Sustainable Development Goals for the planet in 2015. Government should also commit to ensuring it reaches the ODA target of 07.% GNP by 2020. A full analysis of the policy challenges and proposals on the Global South are outlined in our Socio-Economic Review 2015 ‘Towards a Just Society’. The chapter is available below.

To mark World Social Justice Day Social Justice Ireland hosted a seminar to discuss the challenges that climate justice poses to policy making in Ireland both from a national and international perspective. Two presentations outling the national and international challenges were given by the EPA and Trocaire respectively. These presentations are available to download below. This event also forms part of Social Justice Ireland's contributionto the European Year of Development 2015.

783 million people live without clean water, 2.5 billion have no adequate sanitation and 1.4 billion people are without access to electricity in our world today. This is a profoundly unjust situation. In the EU there are 124.5 million people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. In Ireland 16% of the population is at risk of poverty and one in every five children lives in a poor household.